NWFP Senior Minister Siraj-ul-Haq on Friday given a two weeks deadline to National Highway Authority (NHA) and Frontier Highways Authority (FHA) for bringing improvement in its working on highways right from Peshawar to Swat and Chitral especially in Malakand region. In case of failure he warned them of taking severe action against them. He was presiding over high level meeting as Civil Secretariat Peshawar about construction of highways in the province.
Those who attended the meeting were including Additional Chief Secretary Mir Laiq Shah, Finance Secretary Zia-ur-Rehman, Secretary Communication Arshad Mirza, Secretary P&D Syed Manzoor Ali Shah Bacha, MD FHA Habib Ali, Director Construction NHA Imran Yousafzai, Chief Economist Zafarul Hassan, Director Malakand Rural Development Project (MRDP) Muhammad Ishfaq while Habibur Rehman MPA represented Assembly members of the concerned areas.
Siraj-ul-Haq regretted that despite best scenic places and tourist resorts of the country, all highways leading to Malakand region were facing the apathy of the authorities giving bad impression to the tourist at home and abroad.
He said that government authorities must mend ways and improve condition of these highways in wake of ensuing summer tourism season in these areas that would greatly benefit the tourists and local people besides providing ample job opportunities to the local poor population of the area.
He also expressed anguish over the fact that despite meagre available resources, the government provided all required funds for construction of these highways but the authorities after giving assurances in the cabinet and other meetings forgot their promises later on tantamounting to increasing public grievances.
Senior minister warned that provincial government would never tolerate such ignorance and apathy of the top officials neither leniency would be shown any way as such.
He directed the authorities to personally visit and inspect schemes at its very sites instead of relying on reports and excuses of the subordinate officials and contractors and even never hesitate of taking strict disciplinary action and fining the concerned officials showing lethargy in their duties.
On this occasion the senior minister was assured that Batkhela to Chakdara, Chakdara to Landaki, Mingora to Khwazakhela-Kalam, Karakar to Bunir, Karakar to Bari Kot and other portions of Malakand Highways could be completed by end of next month provided there was no rains and snowfall.
The NHA authorities told the meeting that maintenance work of Peshawar to Swat and Chitral Highways has been vigorously accelerated while the concerned contractor was being black listed due to failure in early construction of Timergara to Dir Khas Highway and soon work on this important road would also be started accordingly.
The meeting was further told that the matter of payment of outstanding dues amounting to Rs 280 million to the provincial government by NHA has been settled amicably.
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